Abstract This paper discusses Neil Postman's observations, in his book "Amusing Ourselves to Death" about the way television makes us perceive issues, commodities, people and countries. It explores Postman's concept that medium has actually become more important than the message itself,and that the way American television presents information actually breeds ignorance because it turns important issues into nothing but entertainment.
From the Paper "Media has a very powerful impact on people, which is the reason its advantages and disadvantages are discussed so very often. With every new technology entering our world, we start wondering just how this would later impact our society, culture, consumer market etc. This is because every medium brings along a message and while we believe that message is more important, some social critics maintain it is the medium, which was more powerful than the message itself. Neil Postman admittedly based his book, Amusing ourselves to Death? on the aphorism. "Medium is the message" which was coined by media expert Marshall McLuhan in 1959."
Abstract This paper offers a close look at how U.S. families were learning to enjoy their leisure time in the 1890s, leisureliness being a luxury that citizens of the early and mid-19th Century, for the most part, were not able to experience. In this paper, the amusement parks of the late 19th Century are reviewed ? as to what they offered and how people responded to them. The paper also covers the events of the times, important people of the times, as a way to put American leisure experiences into historical context.
From the Paper "In the years just before the dawn of the 20th Century, America was going through dramatic cultural, social, political and economic changes. The Industrial Revolution was reshaping the way Americans worked and played; an emerging "mass culture" was creating a "cultural upheaval" ? as mentioned in the John F. Kasson book, Amusing the Million: Coney Island at the Turn of the Century. This upheaval was driven in part by technological innovations (affordable books, magazines, photographs, lithographs, the invention of the telephone, phonograph) in communication, which opened the door to a new way of living ? for a new generation of Americans it was a distinct departure from "genteel respectability" (Kasson, 6)."
Abstract This paper uses Neil Postman's book, "Amusing Ourselves to Death", to analyze and critique the first season of "Survivor," the most popular network "Reality-TV" venture so far.
Abstract This ten-page undergraduate paper discusses the book "chairman Mao would not be amused' as well as the movie 'Raise the Red Lantern' in the context of post- Mao film and fiction.
A look into the role of the Coney Island area and attractions from its beginnings as a retreat for New Yorkers in the late 1800s to a thriving amusement park that peaked in the mid 1900s.
Abstract This paper discusses the importance of the Coney Island area historically and as a symbol of New York City. The first section deals with the rich history of Coney Island, beginning as a hotel resort for New Yorkers to visit during vacations. Coney Island landmarks, such as the Coney Island Elephant Hotel and The Iron Tower are discussed with their individual history given. The competition among New York businessmen to develop the area is also investigated, showing how rivals would fight each other viciously over the prime real estate. The paper then talks about the amusement park era and how Coney Island began to transform itself into a nationally recognized location. A section of the paper is also dedicated to the famous Coney Island Freak Show. Finally, the historical section of the paper ends with the lag in business that hit the area after World War II and how Coney Island exists in modernity as a throwback to past generations. The second section of the paper deals with how Coney Island has become a center of cultural pride for New Yorkers.
From the Paper "Coney Island represented a shift from the old Victorian mentality that many New Yorkers felt during most of the 1800s and into a new outlook of association that contained all citizens of New York City, not just the rich. The privilege of enjoyment was no longer reserved for those with money, but the low prices and massive amount of commercialism that Coney Island would become famous for would aid in the evolution of the city into becoming the representation of all that is America. In light of this optimism, Coney Island also had a darker side. Despite the cultural diversity and economic success the amusement center produced, the achievements concealed the exploitation of certain groups and the corruption that went along with the construction of such a major center of entertainment."
Abstract In this article, the writer analyzes the book 'Amusing Ourselves to Death' by Neil Postman. Further, the writer looks at this book in comparison to Marshall McLuhan and Quentin Fiore's scope of electric technology in 'The Medium is the Massage'.
From the Paper "Neil Postman's 'Amusing Ourselves to Death' could be said to take up where Marshall McLuhan and Quentin Fiore's 'The Medium is the Massage' left off. In one sense Postman's book narrows the focus from McLuhan and Fiore's broader scope of electric technology, down to one specific aspect of electric technology - the television. In another sense Postman may be said to broaden the ambit of his predecessors, as he substitutes "metaphor" for "message", maintaining that the term "message" is too narrow."
Abstract The paper critically examines Postman's argument in "Amusing Ourselves to Death" that television is very bad for the cultivation of a thoughtful, rational public that can actually think on its own. The paper posits that, while a well-written text with many good ideas, it is also marred by over-zealousness and by a longing for the past that too often ignores how modern-day technology can actually benefit children whose style of learning may not be well-suited for the "traditional" pedagogical approach.
Outline:
Introduction
Synopsis of the book
Analysis
Conclusion
From the Paper "Postman begins his book by arguing that, in an increasingly commercialized and visual society, people are now shaped by the strength of their artifice (their appearance) and not by the strength of their ideas (7). The medium that was dominating America in the 1980s - and is even more dominant today, more than 20 years after Postman penned his work - is now a visual, visceral one involving images and iconography instead of words (9). Simply put, our culture no longer privileges the written word but privileges fleeting, evanescent images that come to us through (in most instances) the medium of television."
Tags: images, visual, superficiality, texts, words
Abstract The paper discusses how Neil Postman, in his book "Amusing Ourselves to Death" uses examples from the 1980s to illustrate how we are dependent on highly glamorized and frequently over entertaining renditions of the occurrences in our lives and culture. The paper explains his argument that because information has become so plentiful, the individual has much less ability to realistically act to change it and so the message is only of value if it is entertaining. The paper analyzes how important the subject matter is to the study of culture and society and why. The paper also determines the contribution this book makes to sociology and which audience will enjoy or benefit from this book. Finally, the paper questions whether the subject matter would benefit from a more modern rendition of the work.
From the Paper "War, murder, terrorism, random and premeditated violence, religion and in the more modern, as one small example of the evolution, even dangerous high speed police chases have become the stuff of entertainment. Our culture has effectively desensitized ourselves to the element of humanity in all these issues and more frequently see them as a way to sell the modern human condition to itself. Seeking a way to engage viewers the media as well as the entertainers themselves have marketed the world condition, with all its poignant dramatic moments and made it more closely resemble fiction."
Abstract The paper discusses the argument made by Neil Postman in his book, "Amusing Ourselves to Death", that television and the central role it has come to play in our culture and our daily lives. The paper explains Postman's belief that television offers a highly corrosive, dehumanizing experience that promotes ignorance and stifles intellectual pursuit. The paper asserts that Postman's argument seems reactionary as well as incredibly prescient.
From the Paper "In his book from 1985, Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman explores the amazing affect that television is having on our culture and daily life. His audience are those people who belong to literate American culture, who he hopes to frighten with the implication of his analysis while glorifying the past as an intellectual wonderland. Postman begins the book by looking back on how educated Americans once centered their social experiences around social discourse and the printed word, from colonial pamphlets to the publication of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Then the author goes on to analyze television commercials as a form of popular therapy that promotes the idea that all of our problems have simple solutions. Postman then goes on to make the argument that television represents nothing less than a hostile attack on traditional literate culture and that it is eroding public discourse."
Tags: culture, television, media, computers, entertainment
Abstract This paper presents "Coney Island" by photographer Harvey Stein, a colorful testimony to the gritty reality, gaudy display and incredible diversity of Coney Island. The paper discusses each section: Amusements, Boardwalk, Mermaid Parade, The Workers and The Beach. The paper author believes that by documenting Coney Island pictorially Stein keeps the area alive even though the best days of the park are behind it.
From the Paper "The Amusements section sets the scene, documenting the rides and attractions that bring the people to the place. Many of these pictures emphasize motion of the ride, with a central focus point that draws the eye. The Boardwalk section concentrates more on the people attending Coney Island and the activities that go on there, such as feeding the seagulls, McDonald's, French fries, and lovers sneaking kisses. These photos often document a sort of desperation in having fun, a feeling of the need to capture the moment before it is gone and the workweek returns."
Abstract In the following review, this paper will summarize Postman's main arguments and share some of his examples of how television is the dominant mode of conversation and thought in 20th century North America. This paper will also address some of Postman's own unexamined assumptions and consider how these function to prevent Postman from developing a more critical perspective about social agency and intellectual participation, invention and interpretation.
Abstract This paper examines the present problem of this South Korean amusement park eapecially in the are of servie quality manangement. The author points out that the new managers noted that there was a lack of women in the organization and of people with a service background.
Abstract When Walt Disney opened an amusement park in the middle of Southern California orange groves in 1955, he changed the way that Americans, and the world, viewed such entertainment. Once the domain of carnival hucksters, amusement parks underwent a significant makeover at the hands of the head of the Disney Studios.
From the Paper "Introduction
When Walt Disney opened an amusement park in the middle of Southern California orange groves in 1955, he changed the way that Americans, and the world, viewed such entertainment. Once the domain of carnival hucksters, amusement parks underwent a significant makeover at the hands of the head of the Disney Studios. Through shrewd marketing, including a tie-in to a national television program, Disney successfully marketed Disneyland as a unique entertainment experience and made his theme park world famous. In the mid-1960s, plans were made for a second park, this one located in Florida, which was significant larger than the Anaheim park and which opened in the early 1970s. A third theme park opened in the 1980s in Tokyo, and a fourth in Europe in the early 1990s. The company also operates resorts at each of the theme park site..."
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses that the myth of fun has increasingly made its way into post-modern culture. The writer points out that sometimes the fun is participatory, like the flash mob fad or creating art, while others are through watching, such as comedy. One specific form of entertainment enjoyed by many people today is spontaneous humor. The writer notes that flash mobs, a name given to a group of people that gather in a public place for a short time to do something abnormal, originated in May of 2003. The writer maintains that all of the scenarios of spontaneous humor mentioned in the paper link together. The writer notes that happenings, absurd theater, and TV comedians have origins in Dadaism, while flash mobs and other groups like them have origins in the comedians. The writer concludes that the purposeless acts are a way to voice opinion in an odd, yet amusing way; however, because it is odd and amusing it captivates and fascinates more people.
From the Paper "The late night shows with Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Letterman, and other hosts are involved with spontaneous humor as well. The Leno show has segments such as having a talking photo booth where people sit in it for a wallet size photo, but the machine jokes with them about their current behavior inside the booth. People are confused and cannot understand how the machine knows what they are doing. Similarly, Leno has another skit where people at a gas pump can watch the news while pumping gas, but really the news station is watching them and will randomly converse with the person pumping their gas. People are bewildered on how the newscast can do such a thing and try to figure it out. Other times these hosts will stop people on the street and try to get them to perform something such as singing, telling a joke, or provide their insights on a certain topic. Because they are just random people on the street without preparation, the responses are often humorous."
Abstract This paper takes a look at the contribution and effect that Oscar Wilde made to British society. In "The Importance of Being Ernest" a satirical view is taken on the Victorian society and expectations for men. It describes how the character leads a double life in order to live up to these expectations. Social commitments, the role of the female and other typical Victorian issues are examined in this paper.
From the paper:
"Before Oscar Wilde became famous for his writing, he was famous for his tongue. In the early years of his career, Wilde was best known as an articulate and witty social gadfly. He was the fashion-whore of polite British society. He insinuated himself calculatingly into the social life of ?the beautiful people.? H!is reputation was built around an elaborately outrageous fashion sense, a shocking wit and amusing repertoire of behaviors, and his blatant self-stylings as an art critic and aesthete. Through-out his social career, Wilde alternately flaunted and denied his homosexual tendencies. They were a part of his carefully groomed artistic image, an image from which he occasionally worked to distance himself. He did get married and father two sons, and when he was finally accused of sodomy, he fought the charges as libelous. Yet the reality of his sexual orientation, and its natural at-odds-with-society status, was never far from his work. Even his most hetero-centric works, such as the romantic satire The Importance of Being Ernest, are informed by the daily social strains of his barely closeted double life. The Importance of Being Ernest is, in fact, in many ways a prophetic, though optimistic, metaphor for Wilde's life. He deals w!ith the hypocrisy and shallowness that "modern" women and "modern" social etiquette require from men. The story at once critiques the institution of marriage and the institution of ?polite society.? This play deals explicitly with the sacrifices and lies that must be committed in order to achieve acceptance in either marriage or society, and with the inevitable moment of truth when those lies are discovered."
